[DrJones]

You can only do so much with social housing. When people don't have an incentive to care about their homes, they won't take care of them. Crime and drugs run rampant. Social housing is at best a stop-gap measure.

[StuntmanMike]

TrinityJ wrote:

homlessness in Toronto. Take a look at the numbers. These are 2002 stats. you can count on the fact that these numbers have grown significantly since 2002.
http://www.toronto.ca/homelessness/index.htm

Poverty in Toronto is a bigger problem than homelessness. If our governments don't properly invest in social housing in the near future, many of those poor families will surely become homeless.

Your link states there were 31 000+ homeless people in Toronto in 2002.

Yet, a quick Google search using the words "Homeless+Toronto+2006" finds that there were only 5052 homeless people living in Toronto only 4 years later.


http://www.cbc.ca/canada/toronto/story/ ... 60623.html

Assuming your initial numbers were correct, it seems to me things are well under control.

So what's the problem Trinity?

[tritium]

[llama66]

TrinityJ wrote:

homlessness in Toronto. Take a look at the numbers. These are 2002 stats. you can count on the fact that these numbers have grown significantly since 2002.
http://www.toronto.ca/homelessness/index.htm

Poverty in Toronto is a bigger problem than homelessness. If our governments don't properly invest in social housing in the near future, many of those poor families will surely become homeless.

The Federal Government was supposed to eliminate poverty in Canada (somehow...) it was called Target 2000, suffice it to say we are a little behind on the program. there was a large conference in Ottawa in '96 and the federal government pledged support for it.

Toronto has the same problem that every other major city has, and the only way I can think of to solve the problem is a combination of affordable housing and better paying jobs, and naturally job training, people need to remember giving money to panhandlers keeps them on the street, as you are supporting their habits, its better to give to the community outreach associations as they are going to be the ones that are going to be creating the affordable housing, and job training.

[hwacker]

Quote:

If our governments don't properly invest in social housing in the near future, many of those poor families will surely become homeless.

Where does it say we have to provide free housing or anything? How about we fix the problems like hospitals and health care for the people that pay for it.

It’s sickening all the waste that Toronto has but I guess with a complete idiot like Miller why would you expect anything less.

[Thanos]

tritium wrote:

Fuck that noise.

[DrJones]

llama66 wrote:

Toronto has the same problem that every other major city has, and the only way I can think of to solve the problem is a combination of affordable housing and better paying jobs, and naturally job training, people need to remember giving money to panhandlers keeps them on the street, as you are supporting their habits, its better to give to the community outreach associations as they are going to be the ones that are going to be creating the affordable housing, and job training.

Good point. Don't forget many homeless people suffer from mental disorders or alcoholism or substance abuse, or some combo thereof. They need help, including addiction counseling and job training (to say the least.) Many of them are simply beyond help though. They don't function well in a normal routine and simply prefer to drift. It's sad but true. No one will give you a job if you're a crack addict anyway. But giving them money on the street is a disaster.

Indeed, sometimes it's outright fraud- anyone remember the shaky hands land story from Toronto a few years back?

[tylookwell]

hwacker wrote:

Quote:

If our governments don't properly invest in social housing in the near future, many of those poor families will surely become homeless.

Where does it say we have to provide free housing or anything? How about we fix the problems like hospitals and health care for the people that pay for it.

It’s sickening all the waste that Toronto has but I guess with a complete idiot like Miller why would you expect anything less.

i personally believe that all essential services should be payed for through taxation. We love our healthcare system, we couldnt imagine paying for primary education. Why should housing or child care for example, be any diffferent?

[kenmore]

therookieca wrote:

Quote:

Not everyone who needs a nurse is in a hospital, Brenda, and nurses work in many places... they're not limited to hospitals.

Its true nuses work in specialty care facilities although they are expensive places to live. I think that by simply starting a new building in Toronto where homeless can live mabye they can be evaluated on their mental capablilities many people I know are mentally challenged but they are able to support themselves and they are also need very litlle attention a cheep mental care facility is not unheard of.

A cheap mental health facility? Do you have any idea of the cost of mental health to provinces? there is no such thing as a cheap mental health facility and the mandate of many provinces.. Ontario for one, is to close mental health facilities and place patients in the community. Not all homeless are mentally ill and many live on the street by choice. I worked as a street nurse for awhile voluntarily and I know that many would not go to group homes or hostels. Many are addicts and lots are just kids who ran away from whatever.. Shelters are not always safe places... We are seeing an increase in people coming to our hospital with mental health issues because of the economy... some people are on a fine line between having a job and not having one... There is far more to the homeless problem than building facilities....